Meet Suzanne Colmer

We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Suzanne Colmer. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Suzanne below.

Suzanne, looking forward to learning from your journey. You’ve got an amazing story and before we dive into that, let’s start with an important building block. Where do you get your work ethic from?

I truly believe that my work ethic was woven into my DNA. Although, in fairness, loving what you do for work makes it so much easier to put your whole heart into it. I credit my parents for helping foster this. Not only did they lead by example by choosing jobs that brought them joy and allowed them to come home happy and fulfilled after full days and long weeks, they also encouraged us to follow our passions. Even if that meant me diving head first into the abyss of entrepreneurship and my brother into a life of music.
From the time I was a teenager, I treated every little job with the same respect I now treat my career. I never called in sick and I always strived to be the best. I found jobs I loved and that I was good at and spent years in each of them. Not only did all those customer service and hospitality jobs teach me more than anything I could have learned at business school, they also helped me pay for my University and college education. They showed me that working hard felt good. It made my parents proud of me and in turn showed me what it felt like to be proud of myself.

Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?

I have spent the last 17 years of my life teaching clients how to love their clothes and have the clothes love them back. My super power is the ability to break down an outfit to be able to understand exactly why something works (or doesn’t work) so my clients never settle for “okay” or “it fits” ever again. I specialize in closet cleanses that allow you buy less and wear more and body positive curating shopping supporting local boutiques. I am currently writing a book called “Recipes for Style” and releasing monthly Curated Canadian Clothing Catalogues featuring my favourite pieces from over 500 boutiques and brands across the country. I will also be relaunching my blog soon! I could write or talk about style 24hrs a day without growing tired of it. Luckily, I love what I do as much today as I did when I started my company in 2008.

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

Accounting! I wish I would have taken an accounting course early on. I was so great at Style Consulting that I neglected to focus on the fact I also had to run a successful business. I also think “do your best and outsource the rest” is a great mantra. Having a strong network of other entrepreneurs that you can call on when you need help in different areas is priceless. I would recommend using your network as a sounding board. As a solo-preneur, I love to use my friends to bounce ideas off of. If you don’t have people in your life already, definitely search for a group of like-minded entrepreneurs you can talk to and brainstorm with.

As we end our chat, is there a book you can leave people with that’s been meaningful to you and your development?

I love “101 Essays That Will Change The Way You Think” by Briana Wiest. I can open that book to any page and gain perspective and wisdom that centres me and helps me in my everyday life while translating beautifully into my work. When you literally are your business, self care and mental health are so incredibly important. As an entrepreneur if you aren’t well, your business can’t be either.

Contact Info:

Image Credits

Tara McMullen

Suggest a Story: BoldJourney is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems,
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
Productivity
Where do you get your work ethic from?

We’ve all heard the phrase “work hard, play hard,” but where does our work ethic

Productivity
Tactics & Strategies for Keeping Your Creativity Strong

With the rapid improvements in AI, it’s more important than ever to keep your creativity

Productivity
From Burnout to Balance: The Role of Self-Care

Burning out is one of the primary risks you face as you work towards your